Local autocross racers saw the first green flag of the season drop Saturday morning at the Samoa Drag Strip after weather delayed the season’s start for two months.

Drivers in autocross events race for the best time with each car navigating a challenging course one car at a time. According to the Redwood Sports Car Club, which hosts the events, “courses are designed and are setup differently for every autocross using chalk and cone markers … speeds are low and wear on the cars is minimal.” It is the ”purest and safest form of competitive driving,” according to the club’s website.

Club vice president Doug Batt said top speeds reach about 60 miles per hour, but the true challenge is “finding the course,” remembering it, and staying on it.

“For a beginner that’s the hardest part,” he said. “Almost all cars are allowed … pickups are kind of fun to drive.”

With some exceptions, nearly anyone can compete in the events as well. You don’t have to be a member of the club, Batt said, although it does save you $5 off the entry fee, which is $10 for first-time drivers and $20 for non-members.

“You just show up with a car here in the morning,” he said. “We’re the only club in California that runs autocrosses at $15; everybody else is $35.”

A driver license is required, but Batt said that people with learner’s permits can race too, as long as they have a co-driver with them. Every racer needs to have a helmet on when racing and the club has several available to rent during events, he said. Go-karts are allowed on the course with drivers as young as 12, but Batt said the pavement is a bit rough for that type of ride.

“We have a high degree of difference of skills here,” he said.

Events take place on the third Saturday and Sunday of the month on the parking lot at the Samoa Drag Strip, and the club also hosts a summer hill climb event in Hoopa. Drivers must arrive during the registration period in the morning to race for the day.

Austin Theriault said he’s been participating in autocross events for a year, adding that one of the best aspects is the community of racers who attend.

“People are competitive, but the communal aspect is pretty mellow,” he said. “Other clubs are more full of themselves, but the people here are more humble.”

Theriault said the events give drivers valuable experience that teaches them how to handle their car in a variety of scenarios.

“You never get the chance to push your car to that limit … it’s good just to know what you can do,” he said. “(For example,) a lot of people don’t know that if you slam on your brakes you can skid and crash.”

Long time autocrosser Marvin Goss said that racers explore the limits of not only their cars, but also themselves. For him, the process is similar to “a technician reading music.” You play notes in time, but read several bars ahead and are always thinking about what’s next.

“Once you know where you want to be, and you already know where you are, then the fun begins,” he said. “When you’re driving right at the limit, both of the car and of yourself, it’s just a really good feeling because you realize that somehow or another you’ve managed to put it all together.”

Mastering the combination of car control, course reading and memorization is no easy task, he said. Goss has been with the club for 50 years and said one of the most important things is to just have fun.

“I like to drive fast and this is a fun place where you can drive fast and not hurt anything or get arrested,” he said. “You’re basically providing your own roller coaster ride.”

Next autocross event:

When: April 20 and April 21; registration begins at 8:45 a.m.

Where: Samoa Drag Strip

Cost:$10 for 1st time drivers, $15 for Redwood Sports Car Club members, $20 for nonmembers